This invention relates to handheld devices that project light patterns onto an object in a sensor field of view (FOV) having object features to be quantified, that obtain two dimensional images of the FOV including the patterns reflected off the object and that use the patterns in the images to quantify the object features.
Handheld devices that project a light pattern onto an object in a sensor field of view (FOV) having a feature dimension to be measured, that obtain a two dimensional image of the FOV including the pattern reflected off the object and that use the pattern to identify the dimension to be measured are known. One problem with known devices of this type is that a device user is required to position the device such that the projected pattern is oriented in a specific fashion with respect to the feature to be dimensioned. For instance, where the thickness of an object is to be measured using a projected line pattern, the device has to be manipulated by the device user such that the line pattern is perpendicular to the thickness of the object being measured. If the device is not properly aligned, the thickness measurement will be inaccurate.
While aligning a light pattern with an object feature may seem to be a simple process, in at least some cases physical constraints of an environment in which a measurement is to be obtained may make it difficult to precisely align a handheld device with the feature. In addition, where several dimensions have to be measured, the additional time required for precise manual alignment of the device with the object to obtain each dimension can be burdensome.